“Focus on Food: Lens Comparison for Delicious Shots”

In the world of food photography, the choice of lens can dramatically influence the look, feel, and depth of an image. Using papayas as the subject, let’s break down the differences between four popular Canon lenses: 

the Canon 135mm f/2L, 

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L,

Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro,

Canon 50mm f/1.2L. 

All shots were taken at f/5.6 on a Canon 5D Mark IV.

Canon 135mm f/2L Lens | Shot at f/5.6

The 135mm f/2L lens is known for its portrait-like rendering and compression, making it an interesting choice for food photography. Its longer focal length offers a distinct look, especially when you want to separate the subject from the background.

At f/5.6, the depth of field is shallow, and the background blur is incredibly smooth. This allows the papaya to pop out of the frame while the background melts away, creating a striking visual impact.

There is virtually no distortion at 135mm, making it perfect for food photography where maintaining true proportions is important.

The 135mm is known for its sharpness, and it delivers excellent detail, particularly when stopped down slightly to f/2.8 or f/4. Even wide open, the sharpness at the point of focus is impressive.

The texture and detail of the papaya’s surface are vividly captured, making this lens perfect for focusing on individual food elements or achieving a clean, minimalistic look.

            •          Best For: Detailed, subject-focused shots with a clean, blurred background.

            •          Challenges: Requires more space due to the longer focal length, limiting versatility in tighter environments.

Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens | Shot at f/5.6

The 50mm lens introduces minimal distortion, but it does tend to slightly stretch the edges of the frame. At mid-range apertures, color, contrast, and image sharpness are really quite phenomenal. And even stopped down to f/1.2, central sharpness is very impressive indeed. Just be aware that a hint of chromatic aberration is detectable at the widest aperture settings (although of course this can easily be rectified at the editing stage).

Although autofocus is perhaps not the fastest currently on the market, this is rarely an important consideration for food photographers anyway.

The 50mm f/1.2 lens produces a dreamy, artistic look with smooth background blur, ideal for isolated food shots where the focus is on texture or color.

The Canon 50mm lens offers a wider view compared to the others, making it great for overhead or tabletop shots where more of the scene needs to be captured. The image feels more spacious, with less compression than the 135mm or 100mm lenses. This lens is often chosen for its flexibility and the ability to shoot food in a more contextual setting, allowing both the subject and background to be visible in balance.

•               Best For: Wider compositions and capturing both the subject and context in food photography.

Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens | Shot at f/5.6

The 100mm macro is extremely sharp across the entire frame, even at wider apertures like f/2.8. This sharpness, combined with the shallow depth of field, makes the subject appear almost three-dimensional.

The 100mm macro lens is ideal for capturing close-up details. In this shot, the papayas maintain sharpness and clarity, with an impressive depth of field that highlights texture and intricate elements like the seeds. The lens’s macro capability brings out every detail, making it an excellent choice for food photographers focusing on fine textures and features.

Being among Canon’s older models, the EF 100mm Macro lacks image stabilization. Nonetheless, it produces excellent image quality, with an amazing center of image sharpness. What’s more, there are almost no noticeable chromatic aberrations. Autofocus, too, is exceedingly accurate. Meanwhile, with a simple twist of the focus ring, the focus will immediately switch to manual operation. Considering all of this, and taking into account that the lens also retails at a very reasonable price, the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro is undoubtedly one of the very best Canon Lenses for food photography currently available.

            •          Best For: Capturing texture and fine details up close, making it perfect for tight, detailed shots of food.

            •          Challenges: Limited versatility if you’re looking for wider compositions.

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L Zoom Lens (Shot at 70mm) | Shot at f/5.6

Another fantastic option to consider is the 24-70mm lens, which is highly popular among food photographers for its versatility. This lens covers a broad range of focal lengths, making it perfect for different types of food shots. The 24mm end allows you to capture wide, dramatic overhead shots of tables or flat-lays, while the 70mm range gives you tighter, more focused shots with beautiful background separation for that hero food shot.

The 24-70mm lens offers versatility, and at 70mm, it provides a good balance between subject isolation and a wider frame. In this shot, the papayas are well-detailed, but the lens captures more of the surrounding background compared to the 135mm. This lens allows for a bit more flexibility, letting photographers shoot wider scenes or zoom in for more detailed images.

            •          Best For: Flexibility in framing; perfect for photographers needing a balance between wide and zoomed shots in one lens.

            •          Challenges: Slightly less background blur compared to longer focal lengths like 135mm.

Conclusion

•               Each of these lenses has its unique strengths in food photography:

•               Canon 135mm f/2L: Ideal for isolating the subject with a stunning background blur.

•               Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L: Versatile for both tight and wide shots, providing flexibility in a variety of shooting situations.

•               Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro: Perfect for macro shots with incredible detail and texture rendering.

•               Canon 50mm f/1.2L: Excellent for capturing wider scenes and offering more context in food photography.